Street-car fender



(No Model.)

B. L. BURLESON. STREET GAR FENDER.

No. 534,312. Patented Feb. 19, 1895.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

RODERICK L. BURLESON, OF OARROLLTON, ILLINOIS.

STREET-CAR FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 534,312, dated February19, 1 895. Application filed December 20, 1894. Serial No. 532.497. (Nemodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RODERICK L. BURLESON, of Oarrollton, in the countyof Greene and State of Illinois, have invented a new and ImprovedStreet-Car Fender; and I do hereby declare that the following is a fulland exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to an improvement in street car fenders.

My object is to provide a substantial and inexpensive fender of suchflexibility that it will notinjure aperson whom it strikes, but willcatch up such person and carry him or her along with the car until thelatter can be stopped.

With this end in view, my device consists in certain details ofconstruction and combinations of parts fully set forth in the followingspecification, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure l is a side elevation of the fender shown in connection with theend of a street car, and Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same.

A, represents the platform of a car; B, the dashboard, and O, the fenderconsisting of a rocking frame adapted to oscillate upon a crossbar g,rigidly secured in the forward ends of two arms d, d, which are hinged,as shown in the drawings, to the front end of the platform of the car.

The lower part or foot-board of the rocking frame consists of a flatforward projecting leaf 0, adapted to carry a louder-plank e, of

which the front edge is cushioned with rubber or some other softmaterial, as shown at F; the rear part of said buffer-plank beinglongitudinally grooved for the reception of the leaf 0, upon which it isadapted to slide freely to and fro to a limited extent in the directionof the cars length.

To the front edge of the leaf 0, are secured two bow springs S, S, shownin dotted lines in Fig. 2, the free ends of said springs impinging uponthe bottom of the groove in the buffer-plank so as to press thelatterforward. To limit the travel of the buffer-plank, forward and rearward,and retain it in position laterally, it is provided with a slot t, inwhich is inserted a stud i, secured in the leaf c.

For retaining the rocking frame 0, in its normal position as shown inFig. 1, and to allow it, when brought into use, to fall back into 5 5the position shown in dotted lines, spiral springs r, 'r, as shown. inFig. 2, are employed, one end of each being secured to each of the barsor arms 0?, d, and the other to the rocking frame, so as to raise thelatter and retain it at an inclination governed by the length of thecord or chain 10, as shown in Fig. 1; its fall rearward being arrestedwith but little shock, by springs q, q, and retained in the latterposition by a pawl h.

The height at which the buffer-plank is sustained above the rails may begoverned by the length of the stays N, N, which may consist of smoothcords, or chains covered with leather, so as to inflict as little injuryas pos- 7c sible upon the person caught up by the fender.

With the combined elasticity of the cushion F, and the springs S, S, theshock in picking up a person either standing or having fallen upon thetrack, will be so reduced as to Very much lessen the risk of breakingthe legs or ankles.

As to the concussion resulting from a person falling against the back ofthe rocking frame and throwing it into the position shown in dottedlines, it may be here observed that its resistance to motion, is soslight, in consequence of the abundant elasticity of the springs r, r,and the arresting of its motion, when turned down, so gradual, owing tothe pliancy of the springs q, q, that it would be almost impossible forany serious injury to result therefrom.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1 In a street car fender, the combination with a rocking frame supportedin front of the car by an axis upon which it is adapted to oscillate, ofa foot-board or buffer-plank adapted to travel a limited distance to andfro in the 5 direction of the cars length, on a forward projecting leafat the foot of the rocking frame and forming a part thereof,'saidprojecting leaf having secured to the front edge thereof springs adaptedto push the buffer-plank to the extremity of its forward travel, andyield when it comes in contact with an object upon the track, theforward edge of said bufier plank being cushioned with rubber or othersuitable elastic material, a slot 25, in the top of the butter plank,for the reception of a stud '2', secured in the leaf 0, so as to limitthe travel of the buffer plank and retain it in position laterally,springs S, S, for holdinguhe rocking frame in normal position, springsq, q, for re' ceiving the back of the rocking frame when thrown down, apawl h, for retaining it in that position, and a cord or chain 19, forre- 10 taining the rocking, frame at the required inclination whenturned up; all of said parts constructed and adapted to operatesubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this23d day of 15 November, 1894.

RODERICK L. BURLESON. lVitnesses:

R. NEWTON, O. HILL.

